The San Diego Zoo

I have always loved spending time at the zoo.  Growing up in Fresno, a visit to the Roeding Park Zoo (now the Fresno Chaffee Zoo) was a fun and inexpensive way to spend a day.  As a child I was fascinated by the many animals on display and that hasn't changed a bit!  My appreciation for the mighty Creator who designed each one has increased and I can stand for hours watching the interaction of each group.

When we arrived at the San Diego Zoo on Friday, the sound outside was incredible.  A roar of excited children!  Dozens of school groups were in attendance for field trips and were anxiously awaiting their admittance.  We already had our tickets and were able to get past the throng very quickly.  We decided to take the Skyfari Aerial Tram to the back of the zoo, trying to get ahead of the masses.  It worked out great!

I won't take you to every stop, but here are some of the highlights:

The polar bears.  The statue behind me is 10 feet, 6 inches tall.

This guy is 10 feet, 2 inches tall!  He is massive.  He shares a home with his sister and one other female.  They were all rescued after their mothers were killed in the wild.

I've always loved the big cats!  Lions, tigers, leopards, mountain lions, jaguars, lynx and cheetahs.  They were either pacing or sleeping!

Another favorite of mine are monkeys.  The gorillas seem to enjoy messing with their audience.  They come right to the glass and just as everyone has their camera ready, they turn their backs!  The orangutans give a much better show.  They swing and roll and climb and seem to love to entertain!

These camels had an unusual game of footsie going.  Their front feet are crossed and one was trying to bite the other.

I love watching the graceful giraffes.  The tallest at the zoo is about 17 feet.  This one had to really work to get a drink.  A few more inches and she was on her way to doing the splits.

This panda's nickname is the "Bamboo Eating Machine."  He will cover himself with bamboo and slowly eat his way out!

If you need a bigger cute animal fix, go to my SmugMug page. I uploaded dozens more!